1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a storm door including a latch mechanism and more specifically to a latch mechanism that includes a securing member which may be actuated by either pushing on or turning a handle.
2. Problems in the Art
Storm doors are typically mounted in the same door jamb as the main full size door. The thickness of the main door leaves little room for a storm door, thus space is at a premium.
Storm doors typically have either an internal latch mechanism that is actuated by turning a knob or handle or an external latch mechanism that is of the push button/handle variety. Prior attempts to combine these two styles of latching mechanisms have included modifications to the turning bar and bolt of an internal style latch mechanism. Such attempts are shown and discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,535 to Baker. Baker allows the user to open the door by pushing in or pulling out the entire handle assembly. This can be cumbersome in a storm door setting where space is of the essence.
Securing a latch mechanism to the exterior portions of a storm door allows the storm door to remain relatively thin. A thin storm door can more easily fit into the door jambs of most homes. Moreover, the use of latch mechanisms on the exterior of a storm door also eases installation and repair.
Currently such latch mechanisms typically include a handle which is pushed in to activate the latching mechanism. To the contrary, the handles or knobs on most typical full size doors are turned. In an urgent situation, the ability of the storm door exterior latch to be actuated by either turning a handle or pushing a handle may avoid confusion and save precious time. It is therefore desirable to provide an exterior latch mechanism for a storm door that can be actuated by either pushing or turning the handle.